So this is a momentous day for not only myself but for the entire community at What happens in Gaming. For I, Jordan, have entered into the world of PC gaming. As primarily a man of the console cloth I have decided to try and see what all of the fuss is about. Those people who know me will know a few things in general;

I have not played a PC since the days of Theme Hospital and Age of Empires.

I have always bought my games in physical copy.

My ability with a mouse is limited to a mediocre point and click motion.

That being said, I have entered into the PC world with a very optimistic mind and an ever youthful learning approach. My specs are good (so I am told) and my questions have been a plenty, yet I feel there are many more to be asked.

Given point number 2 above, the world of Steam is a vast and strange new concept to me. Even though I have dipped my toe into digital copies of games on my Xbox One, I still struggle with the idea that I don’t have to visit my local store to get the latest games anymore.

I should also interject at this point and add that out of all the guys here at What Happens In Gaming, I am the youngest by a significant margin (sorry guys) at 27 years and counting, so my digital coming of age is late by most of the team’s standards.

If my mind was not already blown enough I was then told that there are other platforms, or “clients”, from which I can buy my games and that all of them will be stored on my PC. At the click of a button, I could be cruising the highways on Euro Truck Simulator one minute and then building a metropolis on Civilisation the next.

This was all well and good until I realised I can’t have them all, not even the majority of them, as alas my enthusiasm is larger than my wallet which I hear is the case in many people’s homes across the world. So I made my adventure known to the team here and made my way to the path of enlightenment till I came across a pair of games which really took my fancy and concluded that only one could be mine (for now at least).

An Adventure in a Far Off Land

The decision could not be harder, even with the ability to refund with less than 2 hours play time on Steam I could not decide. It takes longer than 2 hours to get to know a game I erupted as I talked myself through the reviews online both written and video.

On the one hand, No Man’s Sky a chilled and beautifully vibrant looking game with such a vast world in which to explore and make my dreams of exploring the far off universe a reality, being able to discover my planets and animals along with unknown languages. Could this be easier than I thought?

Then a quick scroll down on the list of games and I find Elite Dangerous, a similar sounding, yet different playing experience set on the same brand of idea, explore, trade and fight your way through a galaxy the 1:1 scale size of the milky way.

Perhaps by now, people will be pulling their hair out thinking I must be off my head that I’m looking at either of the 2 of these games or that one is not standing out like a brighter star than the other, however as I am new on this platform I’m sure I will be forgiven.

I went back and forward with Simon on the team asking for his ever insightful mind to assist me but aghast I am hit for the first time with an “I don’t know”. At this point, you may have dropped your glass of whatever you are drinking (if you knew that Simon was a mastermind of all of such questions). I am forced to cast my mind back to the release of NMS to which I was more than excited about.

However, given its reception spelling a resounding failure in the first instance it caused me to hold off the purchase. With ED I struggled as I had not heard of its release. It was a game I had passed over multiple times on the shelf of my local store to which I would visit often. I then revisited Simon’s office to ask again the question he was now tired of hearing.

Point by Point I gave arguments both for and against my purchase or lack of. Finally, his mind sprung into gear and his point was valid and his reasoning sound. Go with the one you had always wanted. I won’t know what I had missed until I had tried it. Finally, my decision was made.

Board my Rocket Ship to Anywhere

No Man’s Sky had fought its fight and won if only by a thread. As I write this very column it downloads and readies to be played. With bated breath, I wait patiently to begin my journey onto this new platform. This new experience awaits me, and honestly, I can say it both scares and excites me to my very core.

I hope that you will follow me on my adventure and comment as we go. It has been great to start my journey with the fantastic community that is What Happens in Gaming and I would like to thank you on behalf of the team here at WHIG for your continued support as we expand and grow our dream. Perhaps you could join me online for a game sometime soon. My only request. You choose the game.